Thoughts from the interface of science, religion, law and culture

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

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EVENTS

ADA: America Deserves God’s Wrath

Bill Johnson of the American Decency Association — really just a post office box and a few cranky old bigots about an hour away from me — says that America deserves God’s wrath for daring to treat gay people like, you know, human beings with equal rights.

God blesses a nation whose God is the Lord. As we Americans turn our back upon the Lord, deny and mock His Word, and blaspheme His Holy Name, we set ourselves up for judgment.

Many astute believers state that America is already experiencing the judgment of God; that God has removed His hand of protection from America.

It is difficult to ignore this as a reality. America is deserving of God’s wrath.

Once again, the Christian sounds very much like many victims in abusive relationships: “He wouldn”t beat me if only I was better. I deserve it.” Except that Johnson thinks God wants him to do the abusing too.

It’s amazing (well, maybe not really) how often these people attribute the reason for god’s “wrath” to the things they are themselves wrathful about. They’re against simple equal and fair treatment of “others,” so they assume god is too. I wonder if it’s ever occurred to these folks that, even assuming that there is a god and that he’s mad about something, it’s just as possible that he’s pissed about the way they’re treating those “others” as it is the way those “others” act?

They see themselves as Jesus’ faithful disciples. I see them as the people Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:21-23.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

An Indian airliner was (crash) landed in the water and no one was killed and there were no serious injuries. So the “Miracle on the Ganges”* would seem to indicate that Vishnu is just as powerful as the American fundiegelicals’ god-thing. Or else their imaginary friend likes dirty Hindoos as much as he likes decent, non-idolatrous ‘Murkans and his hands of protection are used so randomly as to be the same as if he was not there at all.

* Actually it was off Fiji, but “Miracle on the Ganges” works better, for obvious reasons.

thisisaturingtest:
“I wonder if it’s ever occurred to these folks that, even assuming that there is a god and that he’s mad about something, it’s just as possible that he’s pissed about the way they’re treating those “others” as it is the way those “others” act?”

These are the same people who can read about genocide in the Bible and say that god was merciful because all the children who were violently killed by the Israelites went straight to Hebben to play with Jeebus for ever ‘n ever. And the adult men, non-virgin women and animals who were killed, and the virgins who were raped by the Israelite conquerers had it coming, anyway, because they were wicked sinners.
To them the Bible is a big book full of Rosarch ink blots that can be anything they want it to be. As long as they observe the sacraments of hating gays, women, furriners and, to make a long list short, anything else they don’t understand.

When the hammers of climate change, peak oil, marine ecosystem collapse, etc. really come crashing down, these people will interpret it as God’s punishment for not being mean enough to the ghey. They will not only blame us (who have been trying to warn them for years), but are very likely to see any attempt to reduce the damage as a challenge to God. (“How dare you arrogantly try to fix what God has determined to punish us with?!”)